Thursday, April 02, 2009

Amorous Woman Continues to Charm!

Karl Wolff, a book reviewer at Blogcritics and at his own blog, and self-confessed atheist and bleeding heart liberal (and he doesn’t even live in Berkeley!) has just posted a lovely review of my novel, Amorous Woman. Nothing makes a writer happier than a reviewer who “gets” her work and enjoys it. Join me in a glass of champagne to celebrate?

I also got my royalty statement from Orion today and the news is pretty darn good considering I basically sold every single copy on that sheet with my own blood, sweat and tears. I still have several hundred copies to get into the hands of readers before the print run of 2000 is sold out, but I’m closer than I ever dreamed I would be. I did a little internet surfing and found data that seems to suggest the average published book sells 500 copies (from a Publisher’s Weekly article). “Successful” fiction from a big house sells at least 5000 copies. Successful nonfiction must sell at least 7500. Just FYI, for print on demand, a bestseller is 500 copies. The average POD is less than 200. The number of copies of Amorous Woman that got into readers' hands (and I’m not totally sure how reliable these numbers are given comp copies, potential returns, my author copies, etc.) seems to be roughly three times the average. Again, way better than I ever thought given the circumstances. I think this definitely calls for more champagne. A modest champagne, but that can be pretty tasty, too.

A special thank you to all my friends here for saying nice things about my book, writing reviews and being so supportive!

Congrats! It was a pleasure to read. I laughed, I cried, and I learned dirty words in Japanese ;)

Glad I could help you "move units." I'll have a stiff gin and tonic to celebrate the occasion.

People love erotica that doesn't insult their intelligence or cater to the Lowest Common Denominator. Philip Kaufman (of "Henry and June" fame) is in need of a come back, maybe he can direct? Maybe Naomi Watts as Lydia?

Thank you, everyone, for joining me in that drink! And for your support 'cause everyone who's commented has done something very special for me. First of all, you've READ my book, and I do not take that for granted. Then you even said nice things in public, for which you have my undying gratitude forever :-).

Hey, Karl, thanks for stopping by. Of course I would LOVE to have my story on the screen. Naomi Watts as Lydia, Ken Watanabe as Kimura? In the right (that is, thoughtful, intelligent, edgy) directorial hands (Philip Kaufman--yes!), this could be an international sensation.

Now in E-Book!

An American's Love Affair with Japan

An Erotic Trip to Japan

My debut novel, Amorous Woman, will take you on an erotic trip to a Japan few tourists ever see.I'm happy to announce that it's available as an e-book Stonebridge Press' erotica line, Iro Books.Read excerpts and the glowing reviews on my website. For a visual preview, check out my provocative Amorous Womanbook trailer.Seeing is believing!

You can hear me read an excerpt from Amorous Woman at “In the Flesh” in NYC. The beginning of the video is choppy, but please be patient--it gets better!

If you love delicious cookies, check out my new blog, Cookie Passionista, in which I share all of my favorite recipes and tricks for making them irresistible!